Movie Review: The Road

The Road is bleak and grim, unbearably sad and beyond dark but it is thoroughly engrossing and I dare you to take your eyes off the screen. I can only imagine Cormac McCarthy’s total approval of director, John Hillcoat’s and screenwriter, Joe Penhall’s film adaptation of his Pulitzer Prize winning, post-apocalyptic novel. The film is pretty faithful to the source material (although not as poetic); probably too faithful for most people. It will be a very hard sell for general audiences. There is only one memorable part of the book (too involved to write about here - you should read it) that I assume was left out deliberately to insure the movie never brings to mind another post-apocalyptic movie, The Road Warrior (which is a comedy by comparison). Viggo Mortensen is brilliant as The Man and basically carries the entire movie. New-comer, Kodi Smit-Mcphee plays The Boy and does an honest and emotional portrayal of a child trying to survive his nightmarish existence. His incredible resemblance to his mother, played by Charlize Theron (seen only in flashback), brings an unexpected but sorely needed tenderness to the film. But highest honors go to Chris Kennedy, the production designer for providing the cataclysmic landscape, the real star of the movie. Mount St. Helens, still devastated from its explosion 30 years ago, the Oregon coast, the woods of Pennsylvania and some post-Katrina New Orleans provide the very natural dark, dank and twisted metal surroundings that gives an element of realism, setting this movie apart from others like it. Kennedy was also involved in the production design of Hillcoat’s previous and near perfect movie, The Proposition (if you haven't seen it, rent it). The Road follows the treacherous journey of a man and his son as they head to the coast through what has become hell on earth. We are never told what caused the apocalypse and quite frankly, it does not matter. The movie is an allegory about the bond between father and son. It is about love, devotion, personal strengths and weaknesses. When everything is taken away, what do you do? Can you maintain your humanity? The movie ends with just a glimmer of hope which I was extremely grateful for. Robert Duval and Guy Pearce have very small but critical roles. As always, they are both perfect. This movie is obviously, not for everybody. There are plenty of disturbing images that will stay with you long after you leave the theater. Not giving characters names, usually annoying to me, works in this movie. My one complaint, too much unnecessary voice-over. Ugh.